Women investors are ready. Is your practice?

The profile of women investors that the financial services industry has relied on for years is often misinterpreted. This profile generally includes a confidence gap, a knowledge gap, a savings gap and a reluctance to engage. Historically, marketing communication centered on women has included content about how to "get started,” “increase understanding” or “build confidence." The problem is that this profile is outdated—and the women sitting across the desk from financial professionals today know it.

Ask a financial professional to describe their women clients, and the descriptors still lean toward: cautious, risk-averse, relationship-focused and confidence-building. These traits are not inaccurate, but they are incomplete. The women navigating today's market may appear hesitant because they are busy. That’s a nuance that—when recognized—can advance or build a trusted financial professional-client relationship.

Women investors, particularly those in or approaching retirement, aren't waiting to be pulled into the conversation. They are proactively seeking financial information and looking for guidance. In many cases, they are already taking action. Understanding what that looks like in practice—and how to meet women where they actually are—is becoming one of the most impactful opportunities in a financial professional's practice. This is especially true as the financial services industry moves through a period that is already being referred to as The Great Wealth Transfer.
 

A market in motion

The scale of women's growing financial influence is no longer a projection, it’s already here. According to McKinsey's May 2025 research, female-controlled assets in the United States rose from roughly $10 trillion in 2018 to $18 trillion in 2023, and are projected to reach $34 trillion by 2030. Over that same five-year period, women's wealth grew by 51 percent—outpacing the 43 percent growth in global financial wealth overall.¹

Several converging trends are behind this shift. Women are contributing more to household finances than any previous generation, continuing to advance in their careers and arriving at financial planning conversations with more accumulated wealth. For some, this financial autonomy comes by choice; for others, it arrives through divorce or widowhood. Baby boomers currently control roughly 70 percent of U.S. retail assets, and because women typically outlive their male spouses by an average of five years, a significant and ongoing wealth transfer is already underway.¹

And yet the opportunity remains largely untapped. An estimated 53 percent of assets controlled by women are currently unmanaged, compared to 45 percent for men. Closing that gap represents approximately $10 trillion in additional managed assets by 2030.¹ For financial professionals, that number represents something more immediate than a market forecast. It represents real investors who are already accumulating wealth and making financial decisions—some working without a financial professional entirely, others managing significant assets outside of an existing client relationship.
 

How women investors are navigating an uncertain market

Market volatility, shifting interest rates and broader economic uncertainty have defined much of the financial landscape in recent years—and women investors are responding with notable discipline. According to Fidelity's 2025 Women & Money Study, 42 percent of women cut spending on non-essential activities, with more than three in four attributing that decision to economic uncertainty. At the same time, nearly half said they plan to save even more in the year ahead.² These are deliberate, forward-looking responses to a complicated economy.

The behavioral data offers a more complete picture: women tend to approach investing with a measured, long-term perspective rather than reacting to short-term market swings.¹ They are less likely to make emotional portfolio changes during downturns and they are looking for information to guide their next steps.

Much of the financial content women encounter online focuses on obstacles—the gender pay gap, career interruptions and a gap in retirement savings. These are real considerations, and women navigating today's market have already absorbed them. This type of messaging has many of them turning to social media, podcasts and peer communities to find financial perspectives that feel more relevant to their day-to-day reality. They are actively seeking forward-thinking, solutions-oriented guidance that speaks to the complexity of their financial lives.

This insight changes the conversation. Women investors may appear guarded, not due to a lack of confidence, but because they are looking for a financial professional who directly addresses their specific needs.
 

What women investors want from their financial professionals

What women investors want from their financial professionals isn't complicated. McKinsey's 2025 research found that women's top financial priorities center on: not outliving their assets, managing healthcare costs and maintaining their lifestyle in retirement.¹ These goals are specific, plannable and well within a financial professional's scope. The disconnect isn't about what women want—it’s often about the conversation and how well it respects their time.

Women want to be asked, and they want efficiency. Many are managing careers, households, caregiving responsibilities and their own financial futures simultaneously. The industry's traditional relationship-building approach—the long lunch or the social event—does not fit into their day. Women over 50 increasingly prefer in-person financial guidance and are willing to pay a premium for personalized service.¹ A focused, well-prepared meeting that gets to the point delivers both.

Women investors bring lifestyle truths that a standard discovery process may not capture. Caregiving responsibilities, career demands and extended household obligations are part of the picture—and they belong in the ongoing conversation. A financial professional who leads with knowledgeable questions rather than solutions sends a clear message: this relationship will be built around actual life, not a template.
 

What women financial professionals are getting right

Trust, for many women investors, often gets tested at life’s most pivotal moments. Widowhood, divorce and an inheritance are the points at which women are most likely to reassess their professional relationships, and are when they are most likely to leave.¹ CFP Board research finds that empathy, clear communication and the genuine sense of being heard are must-haves for building and maintaining the financial professional-client relationship.³

Women financial professionals, as a group, are demonstrating what that looks like in practice. Female financial professionals consistently demonstrate: clear communication, listening without judgment, taking the time to genuinely understand the "why" behind their clients' needs and intentional relationship-building that extends beyond the primary contact to include all decision-makers in the household. These are learnable behaviors, and research suggests that teams demonstrating them are better positioned to retain female clients — particularly through the major life transitions when women are most likely to reassess their professional relationships.¹

The broader takeaway for any financial professional is that women clients are just people too. The skills that women financial professionals are modeling—empathy, tailored communication, taking the time to understand the specific challenges behind a client's needs and planning-first thinking—align closely with what research shows women are actually looking for in a financial professional.¹ The growing influence of women investors makes developing these skills an increasingly valuable asset in an financial professional's practice.
 

Turning insight into action

Taking the time to fully understand the shifting lifestyle realities and unique needs of women investors is an ongoing process, and sustaining a practice that reflects that understanding is increasingly important. For financial professionals looking to strengthen their relationships with women clients—and to position their business for the significant wealth transfer already underway—the opportunity is less about overhauling what you do and more about refining how you do it.

A few places to start:

• Revisit your discovery process. The standard questions about risk tolerance and timeline are a starting point with women investors, not a full picture. Ask about caregiving responsibilities (present and future), possible career transitions and what else goes into their household's financial decision-making needs. Detailed answers will shape better, more relevant planning conversations.
• Invest in the first meeting. A focused, well-prepared agenda that respects a client's time signals more than just efficiency—it signals a deeper understanding. Come with informed questions, not just a presentation or a list of solutions.
• Expand who is in the room. Women investors are often planning for more than themselves. Inviting all decision-makers—including adult children where appropriate—into the conversation early builds the kind of multi-generational relationships that hold through life's inevitable transitions.
• Lead with planning, not products. Cerulli Associates research confirms that women are considerably more likely to want financial professionals to lead with financial planning and life strategies.⁴ The investment conversation and decisions will follow naturally.
• Stay current on the issues women are navigating. Longevity, healthcare costs, career interruptions and caregiving gaps are not abstract concerns—they are the financial realities of many of your clients. Financial professionals who understand these issues, and can speak to them directly, build trust faster.
• When in doubt—ask. It’s okay to not be an expert on everything. Financial planning is a sensitive topic, and asking: “Is there anything else I should be aware of that is pertinent to your lifestyle that could have an impact on your current or future budgeting needs?” might sound insignificant in the moment, but could have a big impact later.

Women investors aren't looking for perfection. They are looking for financial professionals who are genuinely curious and non-judgmental partners as they continue to build the financial foundation for their future.